1990 Belgian Grand Prix
26 August |number = 495 |officialname = XLVIII Grand Prix de Belgique |circuit = Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps |location = Spa, Belgium |circuittype = Permanent racing facility |lapdistance = 6.940 |laps = 44 |distance = 305.360 |pole = Ayrton Senna |polenation = BRA-1968 |poleteam = |poletime = 1:50.365 |fastestlap = 1:55.087 |fastestlapdriver = Alain Prost |fastestlapnation = FRA |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 38 |winner = Ayrton Senna |winnernation = BRA-1968 |winnerteam = |second = Alain Prost |secondnation = FRA |secondteam = |third = Gerhard Berger |thirdnation = AUT |thirdteam = }} The 1990 Belgian Grand Prix, otherwise known as the XLVIII Grand Prix de Belgique, was the eleventh round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, Belgium, on the 26 August 1990. The race, which required three attempts just to get underway, would see Ayrton Senna claim victory to extend his Championship lead. The Brazilian would start the weekend in fine form, sweeping to his sixth pole position of the season ahead of teammate Gerhard Berger. There was then clear air behind the two s and third placed Alain Prost, who shared the second row with Thierry Boutsen. The first attempt to start the Grand Prix would see Senna beat Berger into La Source, only for the race to be stopped immediately. The cause was Aguri Suzuki, whose collision with Nelson Piquet sent the skating into Nigel Mansell, blocking the circuit and causing the two s to collide, as well as other accidents behind. The ruined cars were plucked from the circuit and the field reset to grid order, minus the cars of Martin Donnelly (Lotus) and Suzuki's . Senna duly aced the second start to secure the lead, only for a huge accident for Paolo Barilla heading through Eau Rouge on the opening tour to bring out the red flags again, with bits of shattered littering the circuit. Once again the field was reset to grid order, with Donnelly now able to rejoin as Lotus had completed some quick repairs on his car. This time it would be a clean start to the race, with Senna again charging past Berger, while Prost just managed to keep Boutsen at bay. Senna would simply pull clear of the field during the early stages, leaving Berger to fend off the attentions of Prost and Boutsen behind. Ultimately Berger's resistance would falter on lap fourteen, with first Prost and then Boutsen slipping past, prompting the Austrian to pit for fresh tyres. Prost and Boutsen were hence clear to chase after Senna out front, although Boutsen's push was ended a few laps in with a transmission failure. Senna, meanwhile, would slowly fall back towards the charging Prost, before both stopped for fresh tyres mid-race, rejoining either-side of Alessandro Nannini. Nannini soon fell to Prost, although the time that the Frenchman lost trying to pass the Italian would ultimately prove fatal to his hopes of victory. Indeed, Senna was left to cruise home at the head of the field ahead of the Frenchman, while Nannini eventually lost third to Berger, after two late-race clashes between the two. Background Ayrton Senna had extended his Championship lead as a result of the Hungarian race, moving ten clear of arch-rival Alain Prost. Those two were now, realistically, the only significant pretenders to the crown, with fifteen points between Prost and third placed Gerhard Berger. Thierry Boutsen, two behind the Austrian after his first victory of the campaign, while Nelson Piquet completed the top five. The Constructors Championship was in an even more certain position, with holding a significant 26 point lead at the head of the hunt. were still in a secure second, fifteen ahead of , while had lost ground in fourth. were next ahead of , while were off the foot of the table for the first time since the Mexican Grand Prix. Entry List The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying Pre-Qualifying Pre-Qualifying Results The full pre-qualifying results for the are outlined below: Friday Qualifying Saturday Qualifying Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session. *'Bold' indicates a driver's best/qualifying time. Grid Race Report Results The full results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car. ** Modena was still classified despite retiring as he had completed 90% of the race distance. Milestones * Alessandro Nannini entered his 75th Grand Prix.'1990 Belgian GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1990&gp=Belgian%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 02/07/2019) * 25th career victory for Ayrton Senna.'11. Belgium 1990', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1990/belgique.aspx, (Accessed 02/07/2019) * secured their 85th win as a constructor. ** recorded their 57th victory as an engine supplier. Standings The Belgian Grand Prix had been another positive weekend for Ayrton Senna, with the Brazilian moving thirteen clear at the head of the Championship. Alain Prost was still his biggest pretender, with the Frenchman holding a seventeen point advantage over third placed Gerhard Berger. Thierry Boutsen, meanwhile, was sat in fourth ahead of Nelson Piquet, while Maurício Gugelmin had become the seventeenth different scorer of the campaign. It was a similar story at the head of the Constructors Championship, with Senna's employers extending their lead at the head of the field. Indeed, the Anglo-Japanese squad would leave Belgium with a sizeable 33 point advantage over , meaning they could afford to miss two rounds completely and still hold the lead. , meanwhile, were in an increasingly distant third, with closing the gap in fourth. Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown. References Images and Videos: * References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Grand Prix articles Category:1990 Grands Prix Category:Belgian Grand Prix Category:Formula One races in Belgium